Exhibitions

Since its founding, Columbia County Historical Society has grown considerably with the acquisition of numerous collections objects, four historic properties, and the development of an active research library. Some of the Historical Society's early acquisitions are on view for the first time in many years; other institutional documents and objects will be on exhibit for the first time. In addition, new acquisitions, old favorites and often overlooked objects will be on display in our recently revitalized gallery spaces. ////// ////// Ongoing during Visitor Hours:see our website.

This new exhibition features more than 60 items made by sailors or artisans at sea. For centuries, sailors have used their leisure time to create objects and artworks that document life at sea, commemorate historic events or simply celebrate the extraordinary skill of the maker.
Scrimshaw ? carved or engraved whale ivory or walrus tusks, made by whalers ? is one of the most well-known, sailor-made arts. Over hundreds of years, many began additional hobbies using materials they had on hand to fill their time while traveling the oceans.
Visitors to the exhibition will see works of art, scrimshaw, and decorative knotwork, commemorative and household items that will provide a glimpse into the daily lives of those who made their livelihoods on the sea.

Known for his collaborations with pop icons and fashion house Louis Vuitton, and for vibrant anime-inspired characters, Japanese artist Takashi Murakami (b. 1962) has blurred the boundaries throughout his career between high and low culture, ancient and modern, East and West. Organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, the exhibition is a major retrospective of his paintings, featuring fifty works that span three decades of his career, from the artist’s earliest mature works to his recent, monumentally scaled paintings. The exhibition, titled Takashi Murakami: The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg, shows how Murakami’s art is rooted in traditions of Japanese painting and folklore, and highlights the artist’s careful attention to craft and materials. It also showcases the artist’s astute eye for the contemporary influences of globalization, media culture, the continued threats of nuclear power.

In late 2015, Italian artist Hitnes embarked on a twenty-city road trip throughout America with the goal of retracing the endeavors of John James Audubon in the 19th century. Audubon’s ambitious goal was to document all of the birds in the country, and these well-known drawings made up his book The Birds in America. Captivated by the enormous scope of Audubon’s goal, Hitnes traveled across the country, aiming to cover in three months what Audubon did in as many decades. Hitnes’s journey on one hand allowed him to explore the state of the birds nearly two centuries after Audubon encountered them. But it also became an all-encompassing performance project in which he gathered materials and made sketches, created public murals, and documented his interactions with a wide range of Americans in video. Hitnes’s exhibition will document his journey, elaborating on what it is that drives a person to dedicate multiple decades of their life to pursuing an obsession like Audubon did.